Exclusive: Teresa Palmer Schools Us on Effortless Summer Beauty

Teresa Palmer practically radiates happiness, no doubt a testament to her zen approach to life. But as the actress begins running down the list of projects she has coming up—a whopping six films, including Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups—it’s evident there is plenty to be happy about these days. The 29-year-old is on the verge of a major year.

When she arrives for her Byrdie photo shoot, Palmer, with son Bodhi in tow, immediately lights up the room with her natural glow. The Aussie and face of cosmetics brand Artistry is synonymous with summer beauty, with her bronzy skin and tousled blond locks, making her the ultimate muse for our warm-weather hair and makeup story. Here, Palmer takes on four effortless looks perfect for the beach and beyond. Keep reading for our exclusive editorial and interview.

Byrdie: How old were you when you first started experimenting with makeup?Teresa Palmer: I was probably about 9, and I remember my next-door neighbor—she was a few years older than me—she told me that she knew how to apply makeup. And at that time, you would pick three colors from a palette and do a third of your eye up to the eyebrow with a green color, and the next third along would be a blue color, and the next third along would be a red color. And we would apply our makeup like that from our moms’ color palettes when we were really young.

B: How would you describe your everyday beauty look?TP: Completely natural—barefaced, momma style, and very laid-back. I have wild, curly, beachy hair, so that just does its own thing, which makes it very easy for me. And then I just never wear makeup, so for me it’s extremely natural. It’s a very different situation if I am going to an event.

B: What about for date night or if you’re going out with girlfriends?
TP: Yeah, I’ll do a little concealer and a pop of lip. I’ve been really enjoying the new Indigo Skies range by Artistry. I wear the really deep purple red color [Artistry Signature Color Lipstick ($25) in Velvet]. I love a really dark lip. I think because I’m so fair, I love the juxtaposition of a dark color on my face and having light eyes and hair. I also love a dark brow, so I’ll do that. You know, very sort of dewy cheeks I think is really lovely too.

B: How has motherhood influenced your beauty routine, if at all?TP: It complements my beauty routine, because before Bodhi was here, I was really natural, and now that he’s here, even more reason to be natural. It has actually aligned perfectly, because I’m really extremely casual. I don’t spend too much time focusing on the physical beauty, because I have a little guy to tend to. And every now and then when I go on a date night without him, I would say I just have a little less time to do makeup. He’s usually either breastfeeding or throwing my makeup around, so I have to do it very quickly, in a couple of minutes.

B: You’re the face of cosmetics brand Artistry. What do you love about working with them?TP: What I love is that Artistry backs up all of their products with the highest level of science and development. And I always said that I would never want to be the face of a company whose products I didn’t believe in. So it was really nice—after doing all of my research and using the products for a while before signing on to be the face, I knew, okay, this is actually making a huge difference with my skin, and I really am behind the product that I endorse. So I’m lucky. I think it’s really quite rare to have that relationship, so I feel very passionate about the brand, and I’m excited to see it grow and develop even more. They’ve come out with some dynamic lines recently, and that’s exciting.

Hair Notes: John D prepped Palmer’s hair with Tresemmé’s Expert Selection Perfectly Undone Wave Creation Sea Foam ($8) for a matte finish and hit the scalp with dry shampoo. To create the crown braid, start with two three-strand braids, one at the part and the other right underneath the top braid. Loosen up the braids for a slightly feathered look. To finish, add a third braid on the other side of the part, and join all three in the back.

B: What are some of your favorite Artistry products?TP: Well, I love the new Indigo Skies Eye Crayon Trio. Indigo is my favorite. I actually love having an indigo lipstick, as I was saying. That’s for the makeup, but for the beauty, the Crème L/X ($231) is my favorite. It’s super-luxurious, it feels like silk on your skin, and it’s my go-to present at Christmastime for all my friends. I send them a Crème L/X, because everyone loves it.

B: What do you do to stay healthy?TP: Honestly, for me, being my happiest self equates to being my healthiest self. And that’s about doing enough self-development work to be at a place where I’m only sourcing happiness from an internal place as opposed to anything external. And that’s been incredibly liberating and has helped me stay healthy and balanced. When you have that in check, I don’t think you have to work as hard on your nutrition or as hard at the gym when you’re feeling really quite zen and balanced. I think that’s the most important thing. And then you try to eat as healthy as possible, but I also like to indulge, too. I’m not nearly as strict about my nutrition as I once was. And then try to get outside, spend some time outdoors getting some vitamin D—don’t be afraid of the sun.

Makeup Notes: Jo Baker started with Giorgio Armani’s Eyes-to-Kill Shadow ($34) in #8 Champagne on Palmer’s eyes, adding an eight-hour cream on top for sheen. She used Giorgio Armani dArmani Lasting Satin Lip Color ($40) in #101, a cool-toned deep nude, on the lips.

B: You started the website Your Zen Life with fellow actress Phoebe Tonkin. How did that come about?TP: Well, Phoebe and I have always been conscious-minded people, and part of that world is really taking care of yourself and shining from the inside out, and that’s about striking a balance and really leaning towards this wellness lifestyle. And because we both had access to the information because of the industry that we are in, we decided that we wanted to share that information with everyone and create a website in which you didn’t have to be a celebrity or have a profile to have a voice if you were finding something that was working for you and you were motivated to share with others. Your Zen Life gives you that platform to be able to share your experiences, and that’s why we were really excited, because we knew what set us apart from a lot of the other websites is that it’s a real community empowering each other. There is too much these days of just people placing judgment on other individuals, and I think really that’s an epidemic, so Your Zen Life is such a positive place, and we wanted to embrace that and create that in our lives. So it’s a gift to us, too, as well as our community.

Hair Notes: To achieve Palmer’s loose french braid, inspired by the Michael Kors S/S 15 runway, separate your hair into three sections—two near the front of the head and a third at the crown—and start a traditional french braid. Once finished with the braid, pull out small strands to create the romantic, undone look.

B: Do you and Phoebe ever share beauty or styling tips with each other?TP: Yes. Phoebe is so effortlessly stylish. She is amazing, and we constantly talk about the food we love and the websites that have great recipes. She’s just so on-point with the styling. She can come over and tell me to ditch things in my wardrobe, or she came over the other day and was like, “Can I do your interior design?” We were talking about renovating and interior design, and she is just so on-point with that stuff. So she shares that with me, and I share mothering tips with her. I’m in the know with mothering and natural parenthood, and I’m passionate about that, so that’s what I talk to her about in the next few years when she decides to become a momma. She asks me questions, and I’m like, “Help me figure out my style.”

B: What are some great beauty tips you’ve learned from the film industry that you’ve applied to your everyday routine?TP: A main one that I’ve been learning a lot about recently is don’t be afraid to use oils on your hair. I can get very wild hair because it’s this beachy texture, so I’ve been using coconut oil, which I learned on my last film, all over my body, including completely lathering it into my hair. And I’ll just sleep like that, and in the morning my skin just absorbs the moisture of the oil, and so does my hair. It’s pretty transformational, so that’s a big tip I’ve been learning a lot about. You know, using a toothbrush on your lips when you have chapped lips. When you have chapped lips and you want to go out but you can’t apply your lipstick because your lips are too chapped, just put on some lip balm and use a toothbrush and go around in circles. It does the trick.

Hair Notes: John D started by brushing Palmer’s hair with a bristle brush to achieve an airy, almost frizzy effect. Next, he used Oribe’s Sculpting Cream ($32) to slick the top of the hair and control fly-aways and pulled everything into a low pony secured with a bungee cord. He finished the look with Jennifer Behr’s Lambskin Thin Ponywrap ($65) in Cognac.

B: You have so many films coming out this year! Can you tell us a little about them?TP: Well I have the Terrence Malick film coming out, Knight of Cups. It was an unbelievable experience. I still think it’s my favorite film experience that I’ve had so far. Terrence Malick has always been my favorite director, so working with him has been a complete dream. He also just keeps you on your toes. You don’t know what you’re doing, you haven’t read the script, and all the stories and rumors are true; really you’re just improvising and trying to be present. He finds that authenticity in what you are doing. I think he is smart in that he casts people for their spirit—he gets to know who they are. The audition process is so much about who you are as a person and how can that translate in his film, so it was great. I just had to lean into my truth, and he embraced that, and we had fun. It was incredibly liberating and challenging as an actor at the same time. I also have Point Break, the reenvisioning. I’m so excited about it, because I know it’s going to be a wild adventure for people. We certainly honor the spirit of the first film, but it’s really a completely different story. We utilize extreme sports unlike anything you’ve seen before on film. I also have The Choice, which is a Nicholas Sparks film coming out. It’s a love story with Benjamin Walker.